Blog | divamensch

Fabulous Friday: Mina and Mitzi

Here are two versions of the same song. First, raucous Italian songstress Mina singing "Che dice non da." Her use of her arms and hands...

ladiesvoices

Sep 15, 20231 min read

CDA: Richard Davis

My brother Howard alerted me to the death of the great jazz bassist Richard Davis, who died at the age of 93. Here's a little overview of...

ladiesvoices

Sep 14, 20232 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Sept 13, 2023

The winner for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1988 was Christopher Hampton for *Dangerous Liaisons,* an opulent costume drama about sexual...

ladiesvoices

Sep 13, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20 finale

I’ll give Waldorf the first word: “I am starting this with the fact that I am still bitter that Rami is not in the finale and Brittany...

ladiesvoices

Sep 10, 20239 min read

Fabulous Friday: I Could Go On Singing

Richard and I were cruising around the dial looking for something to watch the other night and saw that *I Could Go On Singing* was on...

ladiesvoices

Sep 8, 20232 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Sept 6, 2023

The Best Supporting Actor winner for 1987 was Sean Connery for *The Untouchables.* It was a grand, ballsy performance. It seems like it...

ladiesvoices

Sep 6, 20231 min read

CDA: Buffett and Harwell

Richard alerted me to the death of Jimmy Buffett, who died of a rare form of cancer at 76. Here's a nice *60 Minutes* interview from...

ladiesvoices

Sep 5, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 12

This season has been fun, am I right? It was made exponentially more fun by my collaborators Statler and Waldorf! Thanks so much,...

ladiesvoices

Sep 4, 20235 min read

Fabulous Friday: Hannah and Her Sisters

Here's my favorite scene from *Hannah and Her Sisters.* Max von Sydow is such a scream.

ladiesvoices

Sep 1, 20231 min read

CDA: Nicholas Hitchon

I just read in the NY Times that Nicholas Hitchon had died in July at the age of 65. I didn't recognize the name but instantly recognized...

ladiesvoices

Aug 31, 20232 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 30, 2023

We're at 1986 - - this is a turning point because this is the first time I saw both of the movies in the theater, and paid with my own...

ladiesvoices

Aug 30, 20231 min read

CDA: Bob Barker

Bob Barker died the other day at the age of 99. I know he was canceled recently but he was an American icon. Here's a lovely tribute to...

ladiesvoices

Aug 28, 20231 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 11

You know how the show always starts with a tiny recap of the previous episode? It made me sad to be reminded that Korto had been sent...

ladiesvoices

Aug 27, 20235 min read

Fabulous Friday: "From Russia With Love"

I like to do a long-term movie project every year. A few years ago it was all of the Alfred Hitchcock talkies, that was amazing. This...

ladiesvoices

Aug 25, 20231 min read

CDA: Jerry Moss

My brother Howard alerted me to the death of Jerry Moss, who died last week at the age of 88. The name rang a bell so I Googled him - -...

ladiesvoices

Aug 24, 20231 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 23, 2023

The Best Picture winner for 1985 was *Out of Africa,* a sprawling, serious romantic epic starring Meryl Streep (doing yet another foreign...

ladiesvoices

Aug 23, 20231 min read

Mark Morris Dance Group, Aug 9 2023

Stephanie and I saw the Mark Morris Dance Group at the Joyce Theater on August 9, 2023. I've seen MMDG probably fifteen to twenty times...

ladiesvoices

Aug 22, 20236 min read

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 10

The top six! We're getting down to the wire, people. Elaine and Christian announced the challenge: a double bind challenge in honor of...

ladiesvoices

Aug 21, 20234 min read

Fabulous Friday and CDA x 2: Lindholm and Scotto

Today I'm reporting on the deaths of two mid-century opera sopranos. First off, a Swedish Wagnerian soprano I had heard of but wasn't...

ladiesvoices

Aug 18, 20232 min read

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 16, 2023

The Best Actor winner for 1984 was F. Murray Abraham for playing the grand, dastardly diva Antonio Salieri in *Amadeus.* One of the other...

ladiesvoices

Aug 16, 20231 min read

Orgy and Bess, Nov 7 2025

I saw Heartbeat Opera's Orgy and Bess on Nov 7, 2025. Heartbeat is a scrappy chamber opera company here in town, I've seen a handful of their shows. Last year I saw their production of Salome which was scored for eight clarinet players and two percussionists. A fascinating experiment but not really a viable choice. Their scaled down Faust last spring was much more successful. They do a drag extravaganza every year, a mashup of opera excerpts and pop references, heavy on th

ladiesvoices

2 hours ago5 min read

Sybarite5 and Curtis Stewart, Nov 3 2025

I heard Sybarite5 at Music Mondays on Nov 3, 2025. They're a string quintet - - two violins, viola, cello, and bass. I heard them in an online concert during lockdown n 2020. I just read that review and I appeared to enjoy the 2020 concert more than this latest one. Maybe I was more eager for a satisfying cultural experience? Or maybe it was just better. They opened with "Movement and Locations" by The Punch Brothers. It had a great energy but the cello solo at the beginning

ladiesvoices

2 days ago3 min read

Fabulous Friday: Mina and Mitzi

CDA: Richard Davis

Diva/Mensch pair for Sept 13, 2023

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20 finale

Fabulous Friday: *I Could Go On Singing*

Diva/Mensch pair for Sept 6, 2023

CDA: Buffett and Harwell

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 12

Fabulous Friday: *Hannah and Her Sisters*

CDA: Nicholas Hitchon

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 30, 2023

CDA: Bob Barker

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 11

Fabulous Friday: "From Russia With Love"

CDA: Jerry Moss

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 23, 2023

Mark Morris Dance Group, Aug 9 2023

Ryan on the Runway: PR 20, ep 10

Fabulous Friday and CDA x 2: Lindholm and Scotto

Diva/Mensch pair for Aug 16, 2023

*Orgy and Bess,* Nov 7 2025

Sybarite5 and Curtis Stewart, Nov 3 2025

Fabulous Friday: I Could Go On Singing

Fabulous Friday: Hannah and Her Sisters

Orgy and Bess, Nov 7 2025